Arsenal midfielder Jack Henry-Francis has concluded his loan spell with Sligo Rovers, with their league season ending this week.
Unlike the English Premier League, the League of Ireland Premier Division operates on a calendar-year basis, concluding at the start of November.
As a result, when Arsenal’s Jack Henry-Francis joined Sligo Rovers on loan in July, the plan was always for him to end that spell this month.
So after his appearance for Rovers against St. Patrick’s Athletic on Friday, Henry-Francis will now return to Arsenal.
The Republic of Ireland u21 international made 13 appearances for Sligo Rovers in a little over three months on loan, only missing one game through suspension.
Though the 21-year-old took a few games to fully break into the team, by the end of the campaign he was playing every minute and earning some rave reviews.
It’s no real surprise that Rovers boss John Russell recently confirmed he’s holding talks with Arsenal about the player and the possibility that he could continue his spell with the club.
In the meantime, it’s unclear exactly what the plan is for Henry-Francis. He can’t go on another loan until January, and the Irish club season doesn’t recommence until February.
Given he’s been playing competitive football since July, the midfielder may get a bit of a break. If he’s planning a return to Sligo Rovers, they’ll want him to have a full winter holiday and to be ready for their new campaign.
But having already had a summer break from mid-May until his July loan, it’s not impossible Henry-Francis might return to playing for the Arsenal u21s very shortly. That’s unless something can be agreed with Rovers first.